Rally for strangled dog Sunday in Branford

Jennifer Swift, Register Staff

Published
12:00 am EDT, Friday, June 1, 2012

BRANFORD -- The case of a man who allegedly strangled his dog, Desmond, and threw it in a pond has incited online petitions, fundraisers and protests that show no signs of quieting down as the matter continues in court.

Those who seek "Justice for Desmond" are planning to raise awareness on the town Green Sunday, coinciding with the first day of Branford's restaurant week.

Micah Rapini, one of Desmond's "shelter moms" who has launched campaigns to get the word out about the crime, said she plans to be at the Green at noon to hand out fliers, the arrest warrant, copies of Desmond's autopsy report and information about the pit-bull/boxer mix. A vigil will also take place Sunday when it starts to get dark, Rapini said.

The dog's owner, Alex Wullaert, 22, is due in court Tuesday. Wullaert was charged with cruelty to animals and littering.

Because of the kickoff of restaurant week and the proximity to Wullaert's court date, Micah said she was hopeful the event Sunday would garner a large turnout.

A petition had been signed by more than 2,500 online supporters by Friday, calling for the maximum sentence for Wullaert, the removal of the dog he now allegedly owns and the daughter he lives with, and a higher penalty for those "who choose to abuse innocent creatures."

"I hope this will raise awareness about animal abuse. This specifically is for Desmond, but it's for all the animals who were abused like him," Rapini said.

It didn't take long for her to come to adore the dog who had been brought to the New Haven animal shelter where she has volunteered on and off for eight years, she said. "He was surrendered by a family, and that really tugged at my heart, that he had a family, he knew what a family and a home was like," she said.

Rapini said Desmond immediately became "kennel depressed," leading her and others to spend a lot of time with him to lift the spirits of what she called a "sweet and loving dog."

"We made sure to spend time with him; he was so sweet. He loved people, he loved to be with you or on your lap. He was just such a love," she said.

It turns out the family that Desmond had come from was that of Wullaert and his girlfriend. Wullaert later adopted the dog again, from a shelter unaware of his prior ownership.

After Madison police responded to a report of a dead animal in a plastic bag, the investigation of the dog's micro-chip allowed them to track down the owner, according to the warrant for Wullaert's arrest.

The girlfriend, who the dog was tracked to, told police she and Wullaert were no longer dating, following an incident where Wullaert allegedly tried to strangle her.

The couple had a child together, and when the dog exhibited jealousy toward the baby she brought the dog to the shelter in January 2011, which is when Rapini and others met Desmond. He was transferred to another shelter, Rapini said, so he could have some peace.

According to the warrant, the girlfriend told police that unbeknownst to her, Wullaert adopted Desmond from that second shelter, and in January told her that he had come home to find the dog dead.

The warrant details Wullaert's alleged confession after police found the dog's body. Wullaert said that on Jan. 12 Desmond had bit him when he tried to put a collar on him, and urinated on Wullaert's leg at the apartment.

He allegedly told police he went into an uncontrollable rage, lifted Desmond off the ground by the collar, twisting it until the dog died. He told police of how he covered the dog's eyes with a Walmart bag because they remained open after he had died, before driving to Madison.

According to the police, Wullaert told them he broke a hole in an icy pond, threw the bag inside, drove to the local store and bought flowers, which he threw in where the dog's body was.

Wullaert was arraigned in Superior Court in New Haven on May 15 with a large crowd of protesters on hand.

Rapini said she expects even more protesters to come out at Wullaert's second appearance.

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